Vehicle-hub



Patented July 26, [898.

w. ,H. BENTLEY & E. ROBERTS.

VEHICLE HUB. 7

(Application filed July 19, 1897.)

(No Model.)

Witnesses In vex Moms (AM 14. (3a Wg m zjwww Written status PATENT UFFTQE.

VEHICLE-HUB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,099, dated July 26, 1898.

Application filed July 19,1897.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that wefl VILLIAM H. BENTLEY and JOHN E. ROBERTS, citizens of the United States, residing at Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Hubs; and We do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to hubs for vehiclewheels, especially bicycle-wheels.

It consists in an improved device for attaching the spokes to the hub, as hereinafter set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

I-Ieretofore bicycle-hubs have been made in the form of a shell or barrel with an external bead rolled near each end, in which eyes were made to receive the ends of the spokes. The

ball-cases were inserted into the ends of the hub and served to prevent dirt from entering the bearings through the spoke-holes. Other hubs have toothed collars formed integral with the shell of the hub, the spokes being inserted through eyes in the teeth. Other hubs have studs projecting through holes in a plain shell, the studs having heads on the inside and being held in place by a sleeve or bushing under these heads. The spokes pass through eyes in the projecting ends of the studs. Other hubs have flanges integral with the shell and perforated to receive the spokes. In all these constructions and others familiar to us there are serious objections. With some dirt can work into the bearings. WVith others the tearing'out of the spoke-eye ruins the entire hub. With others it is awkward work to insert a new spoke. Our invention aims to obviate all these difficulties.

Our hub is composed of a shell having at each end a spoke connection separate and detachable from the shell. It is capable of being made in several different styles to suit different makes of wheels and different modes of attaching the spokes.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows aside ele- Serial No. 645,123. (No model.) I

vation of a hub embodying our improvements.

'IVILTJIAM H. BENTLEY AND JOHN E. ROBERTS, OF JAMESTOVVN, NEW YORK.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig.

3 is a section of the spoke-connecting ring. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 show modified forms of rings.

The barrel of the hub is composed of a cylindrical shell A,Which may be a piece of tubing turned to shape or it maybe finished up from a solid bar of steel. It has near each end a collar (2, the periphery of which is slightly coned or tapered toward the-adjacent end of the shell. At the outeredge of the collar is an abrupt shoulder a, beyond which the shell tapers perceptibly to its extremity. In the shell of a rear or driving wheel hub this final tapered portion a is omitted at one end, the shell being provided with two cylindrical shoulders, the outer one slightly smaller than the other. In the larger shoulder is cut a right-hand screw-thread to receive the threaded hub of a sprocket-wheel B. The smaller shoulder is given a left-hand screw-thread to receive a locking-nut O.

Our spoke connection is a ring D,which sur rounds the collar a and fits tightly thereon by what is known as a force fit. The ring may be of the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, in which it is semicircular in cross-section, the diameter of the opening between the inner edges 01 being more than that between the outer edges d, so that the edge cl forms a flange to fit the taper a while the edge d fits the inner part of the collar 0, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. .The ring is turned a trifle smaller than the parts of the sleeve it is to fit, and is then pressed on by a mechanical forcing device until the flange d abuts closely against the shoulder a. The inner edge cl will then be in line with the edge of the collar a, so that the exterior of the combined shell and ring will present a smooth and elegant appearance. The sprocket B screws tightly against the ring D at that end of the hub and assists in holdingitin place. Moreover, the ball-cases E when pressed into the ends of the shell expand the shell about half a thousandth of an inch, and this assists in securing the ring D. In addition the pull of the spokes when the wheel is laced up isin a direction tending to hold the ring against the shoulder a.

In the hollow bead-like ring (shown in Figs.

1, 2, and 3) we have provided keyhole-eyes d for spokes having bent ends. If a plain flanged ring is preferred, the construction can be modified accordingly, as'shown in Fig. 4. Here the ring is solid,with a wide slightlytapered hub to fit the collar (1 anda flange d to abut against the shoulder a. The outer portion of the ring is thinner and has transverse eyes 61 for the spokes F. If straight tangent spokes are desired, the ring can be made as shown in Fig. 5, having regularlyspaced teeth or lugs 01*, with eyes for the spokes F. This style of ring can be made with a flange d as in Fig. 4:.

Another style of ring is shown in Fig. 6, where the hollow head of Fig. 3 is provided at regular intervals with holes through which project studs G, having internal heads g and spoke-eyes g in their outer portions. This style can be used with straight spokes, the studs being staggered to permit the spokes to pass by each other, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6.

The chief advantage of our invention is that if a spoke-eye tears out the damage can be repaired by simply putting on a new ring D. With many other styles of hubs it is necessary to replace the entire hub in case of such an accident. Another advantage is the complete protection of the ball-bearin gs from dirt, since the shell is not perforated. Moreover, the ball-cases can be taken out without disturbing the spoke connections. In addition we find this hub convenient to build and strong and durable in use. Its adaptability to the different modes of attaching spokes now in use is not the least among its valuable features.

It will be observed that the ring D is held on the hub solely by the friction between it and the shell without any other fastening. This obviates all danger of the ring getting loose, as would be the case if rivets, screws, bolts, or nuts were used to secure it. It is,

however, solid and strong and yet readily removable by pressure in a hydraulic press or other mechanical forcing apparatus.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A vehicle-hub having a shoulder, and a hollow spoke-connecting ring detachably secured on said hub by a force fit only, the inner diameter of the outer edge of said ring being less than that of the other edge, thereby forming an inwardly projecting flange abutting against the shoulder on the hub, substantially as described.

2. A spoke-connecting ring having around one edge an inwardly-projecting flange whose inner diameter is less than that of the other edge, in combination with a shell, having a shoulder against which said flange abuts, both edges of said ring having a force fit on the shell, substantially as described.

3. A vehicle-hub comprisin g a shell having a collar near each end, a reduced portion beyond the collar having a shoulder,and a spokeconnecting ring adapted to pass over said reduced portion to fit upon said collar, with a flange on the ring abutting against the shoulder, substantially as described.

at. A bicycle-hub, comprising a shell having a collar and a reduced screw-threaded portion beyond said collar, a spoke-connecting ring fitting the collar and havingafiange abutting against the outer edge of said collar, and a sprocket-wheel screwed upon the shell and clamping said flange against the collar, substantially as described.

5. Avehicle-hub,comprising a shell threaded at one end, hollow rings secured on the periphery of the shell near either end, one of said rings being adjacent to said threaded portion, and a sprocket wheel fitting the threaded end of the shell and screwing against the ring which is adjacent to the threaded portion, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. BENTLEY. JOHN E. ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

J OSEPH W. GRAFF, F. E. TAFT. 

